The torrential rain at night continued unabated, with water cascading down the mountain ridge, washing away the scent of blood that perated the ground.
Inside a cave halfway up the mountain, blasted open by a punch from Lu Jin'an, a bonfire illuminated the surroundings, dispersing the chill.
Beside the bonfire, Zhiyu was devouring a honey-glazed roasted rabbit with great delight, although her mismatched eyes occasionally glanced to the side.
Iron Hoof Cloud, quietly standing nearby and munching on the moss on the stone wall, also seed content, as if wondering how it could have missed such delicious fare before.
It had the appearance of a wealthy mare discovering local snacks for the first ti.
Thud—
The dull sound of armor dropping to the ground echoed repeatedly, drawing Zhiyu's involuntary attention. After swallowing the rabbit at in her mouth, she asked: "Master, what's that?"
"War armor, not for eating."
Lu Jin'an glanced at the armor he had taken off, which weighed over three thousand pounds in total. Even outside, a cultivator in the Tribulation Crossing Realm couldn't wear it without using spiritual power.
Of course, there would be no such heavy war armor externally, but given the slting skills of the Eastern Dynasty, forging a suit of armor weighing that much was quite impressive.
"Oh~"
Zhiyu imdiately lost interest and continued focusing on munching the roasted rabbit in her hands.
Lu Jin'an watched Dongfang Xinglan, dressed in black fitting clothes beneath the armor — this person truly cultivated diligently.
Moreover, crossing a Heavenly Tribulation purely as a Body Cultivator... truly comndable.
Lu Jin'an speculated that Dongfang Xinglan likely went outside the border to cross tribulation after consolidating power in the Southwest; for a Body Cultivator without Qi Cultivation, it was the Seven-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, where the first tribulation was not the Physical Body Tribulation, but still a Vigorous Force Tribulation.
Regardless of her status or the region where the Eastern Realm was located, finding an elixir for Vigorous Force Tribulation wasn't easy; Dongfang Xinglan likely endured it unaided.
Impressive.
Whether through will or fortune, impressive.
But... possessing such strength, why didn't she eliminate those people at the start?
At the ti, he had heard the flute sound only on the western outskirts of Dragon Valley Ridge after arriving, indicating that either the Observatory was still observing or hadn't arrived. So, given Dongfang Xinglan's current strength, she should have been capable of instantly vanquishing those Martial Saints in one move.
Were they still discussing matters within the Barrier then?
Lu Jin'an collected his thoughts, checking Dongfang Xinglan's injuries. Besides the ones on her back, the leg and shoulder wounds were penetrating injuries.
And the leg injury...
Self-inflicted?
Among those Martial Saints, none used swords, so Dongfang Xinglan might have pierced her thigh with a sword to maintain lucidity amidst the flute sound.
"So ruthless..."
Lu Jin'an muttered, prying Dongfang Xinglan's mouth open to administer an elixir, her wounds healing visibly.
Leaving no scars.
"Hm, why isn't she awake yet?"
Lu Jin'an looked curiously at Dongfang Xinglan, whose knitted brows relaxed and breathing steadied, surprising him. Given her physique, she shouldn't still be unconscious with her injuries fully healed.
He previously witnessed the flute sound's impact on Dongfang Xinglan at the Observatory, but the aftereffects shouldn't be this persistent.
Leaned closer, well, turns out she was asleep.
With a chuckle, he fetched a blanket from the storage space and covered Dongfang Xinglan, then sat by the bonfire, reaching for Zhiyu's tiny head: "How many did you eat?"
"Five!" Zhiyu exclaid: "Delicious!"
Seeing honey on the roasted rabbit, Lu Jin'an shook his head helplessly; cumin and chili could be so fragrant, yet honey had been applied instead...
Zhiyu was truly a die-hard sweet fan.
"Master should eat too."
"You can eat for ."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Hehe, Master is so kind." Zhiyu joyfully shook her head, then stood and sat on Lu Jin'an's cross-legged position, resuming eating.
Lu Jin'an then took two crunchy pears from the storage space, placed them on Zhiyu's lap, took Dongfang Xinglan's wrist guard, and closed his eyes.
Like a layer of red mist, Vigorous Force enveloped him, as he activated the "Great Freedom Visualization Technique" while utilizing Vigorous Force to command the ti rules he mastered.
The river of ti flowed silently in the still darkness; using the wrist guard as a dium, Lu Jin'an glimpsed blurry scenes.
Dongfang Xinglan leading fifty riders, fifty riders being instantly slaughtered, illusion realm, facing enemies, getting captured...
Huh?
Could Dongfang Xinglan have orchestrated this, aiming for sothing? Or...
Continuing to watch, blood dripping, Dongfang Xinglan starting the counterattack...
Blood, is it what Dongfang Xinglan desires?
It's a pity nothing could be heard; the fragnted scenes remained quite obscured, making lip-reading impossible.
Lu Jin'an opened his eyes, his internal Vigorous Force nearly depleted within monts.
'Who was that person needing only a head to survive...'
Pondering, Lu Jin'an mused over what was said for Dongfang Xinglan to decide to feign defeat and get captured.
Moreover, if it was the Jiuli Dynasty and Shenmiao Dynasty's Qi cultivator and illusion realm maker coming so far to target Dongfang Xinglan?
But what intrigued Lu Jin'an most was why the woman slit her own hand, and why Dongfang Xinglan ceased her act after witnessing this?
Amidst his thoughts, he heard movent from behind, prompting Lu Jin'an to compose his thoughts and turn to find Dongfang Xinglan's eyes open: "Awake?"
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